ABSTRACTThe interaction of deuterium with silicon-implanted-with-oxygen (SIMOX) was studied for samples with and without silicon top layer using thermal desorption measurements. Deuterium is incorporated in the buried oxide by disruption of the Si-O bridging bonds. The data reveal that the top layer reduces the uptake at 1073K. Furthermore, it retards release; a moderate (≈125K) and a high-temperature (≈1400K) retention were observed. It is proposed that release is accompanied by the reconstruction of the Si-O bonds and that the bare oxide surface constitutes an abundant source for defects thus enhancing the generation and elimination of Si-O bridging bond defects.